Man sentenced to 19 years after pleading guilty to throwing 5-year-old from Mall of America balcony
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- A man who threw a 5-year-old boy from a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America in Minnesota has been given a 19-year sentence, two-thirds of which must be spent in prison, KSTP-TV reports.
Emmanuel Aranda was sentenced Monday before Hennepin County District Judge Jeannice Reding. The 24-year-old Minneapolis man pleaded guilty last month to attempted premeditated first-degree murder in the April 12 attack.
Authorities say he told investigators he went to the mall "looking for someone to kill." The child plunged almost 40 feet (12 meters). He survived head trauma and broken bones.
The child has been publicly identified by his family only as Landen. A GoFundMe campaign has been providing updates on the boy's condition. In late May the page shared that Landen was struggling with "non-life threatening complications" related to his injuries.
"He is recovering, and his spirit is strong - but there is still a long road ahead," the update reads.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
